courtesy of Them Savages
Written by Leslie Rutkin
The only “Savages” currently found in Flagstaff are nothing to fear — as long as you aren’t afraid of good music, that is.
Now one of Flagstaff’s better known local bands, Them Savages began in July of 2009 with two friends, vocalist and percussionist Ben Velazco and guitarist Joshua Be. As soon as the two met, they realized that they wanted to start playing music together. In the beginning, both wanted to form a hardcore band, reflecting their shared interest in hardcore music. Neither expected their project to turn into an acoustic band.
After waiting too long for additional band members and instruments, the two decided to just make do with what they had — namely, themselves, an acoustic guitar, and a floor tom, a type of drum usually only played as part of a drum set. This leaves the two with a unique and stripped down sound. They list a wide variety of genres as musical influences, including soul, classic rock, and hardcore.
Their raw sound reflects the simple, organic way that the music comes together. Velazco has been writing since he was 13 years old, so he writes the lyrics, gathering his thoughts in notebooks. He and Be write the music together. “We just jam it out,” says Velazco.
For their third and most recent release, Church Songs, the duo invited several close friends to add their talents to the tracks, with Phil Hreniuc on bass, Kate Hinojosa on accordion, Bryant Vazquez on additional guitar, and others adding to the gang vocals. Recording with their other friends seemed like a natural addition to Velazco, though he expects Them Savages will always just be the two of them.
Finishing the recording represented a major accomplishment for both band members. “It’s like a year and a half of our lives in twelve songs,” says Velazco.
Even after playing in and around Flagstaff for nearly two years, Them Savages still seem pleasantly surprised by their success. At the January release of Church Songs, the duo burned 100 copies of the album to give to attendees. They ran out that same night.
Both were also surprised and flattered when the audience sang along, even to songs that they had just released. “It was a pretty cool feeling, having people sing your words,” Velazco remembers of the night.
Given their popularity during live shows, it’s no surprise that the feeling between the audience and the musicians is mutual. The duo agrees that playing live is one of their favorite parts of making music. “It’s what we wanted to do from the beginning - just write songs and play shows,” says Be.
As for the future, the band keeps it laid back. When asked about his goals, Be lists “touring more, seeing more places, meeting new people, [and] writing more songs.” “We never had any long-term goals or ideas for this band, so I figure we’ll just keep taking it as it comes,” adds Velazco.
